2023 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN Mrs SD

Wednesday2000

Aw, cute puppy.

My other cousin in Broadstairs has a new puppy, but we didn't get to meet him as the weather was so bad Thursday morning. There were a few trees down on the roads after the storm there as we got back onto the motorway heading home to Essex.

I realise I didn't say what I thought of Broadstairs as that is where we are considering moving to in a few years. I hadn't been there since I was a teenager. Feel free not to read this if you aren't interested, lol.

I thought the beaches that we saw were lovely even in bad weather, much better than where I live now by the estuary. The high street seemed nice, little independent shops and cafes like we have here in Leigh-on-sea. We stayed in an Airbnb that was only about 20 mins walk from the high street  but it felt very quiet and rural as it was in a village. I'm going to go back next Spring and explore the area more.

leftatthetrafficlights

Loving the photos @Mrs_Salad_Dodger!! 😍😁

Had a relaxing day but also a slightly busy one - beetroot, mizuna and red mizuna seedlings moved from the greenhouse to the mini polytunnel bed and the tarragon moved to the greenhouse to keep it going and protect it over the winter.

The understair decluttering has started in earnest - I removed the sack of buckwheat from under the stairs - topped up the box that I had on the go, filled a couple of bags for the community fridge and mixed the rest in with the bird seed sacks. Also got the dark speckled lentils sack out and rehomed those into various boxes along with a few bags for the community pantry. It really helps to be able to visualise what i have!

The chainsaw that was in the cupboard has been removed to the shed but I did find another 5 demijohns too 🤦‍♀️ hopefully I can rehome a few more of them to the charity shops next week- just need to see if the other ones have gone and if they will take any more! 🤞 

Floss

leftatthetrafficlights said:

The chainsaw that was in the cupboard has been removed to the shed but I did find another 5 demijohns too 🤦‍♀️ hopefully I can rehome a few more of them to the charity shops next week- just need to see if the other ones have gone and if they will take any more! 🤞 

Have you tried offering them on Fb marketplace? 

Moorviews

Finally got around to sorting sweaters and other jumper type things. That was four drawers worth, some of which I hadn’t set eyes on in years. All now neat and tidy with two big bags gone already into the clothing bank. It’s good to know what I have and what I might need. Nothing needed really for this year but some items will probably be past it by the end of the cold seasons so I might need to start lining up some replacements before the summer swimwear hits the shops. 

Soontobeoap

Love the squirrel in mr SDs pumpkin. So cute.

Got into the depths of the cupboard under the stairs and found out 5 bottles of wine that have been given to us over the past 3 years. They have been removed to community club to be clothed in festive hats and scarves for the christmas fair at the end of the month. Its a bit coals to Newcastle but if it removes them from my house I really dont care. I am also excited about DHs old walking boots!! Bear with me on this one, I will explain. For the last 5 or 6 weeks since the torrential rain started, they have been extremely stinky!! They became damp, then wetter and then smellier than anything I have ever smelt. I washed them in the washing machine, used fabreze, tried a carpet freshener, removed insoles and washed them in machine separately, i used a bin deodoriser, bought shoe deodorant, but all to no avail! 😕. All this time I am begging DH to let them go and to buy a new pair. ( they are very old) but they were "very comfortable" so No. He walks a neighbours dog daily in them and every day would come in take them off and I would follow my nose to the back door, find them and shove them in the deepest recess of the shoe cupboard. Every time I mentioned it (which was very often!) he became defensive. You would have thought that I was talking about his dearest friend. He began to get defensive, protective almost. Meanwhile the stench was spreading to his socks. It would be his feet next!!  Anyway to cut a long story short we had been away for a night. I had managed to persuade him to leave his pet boots at home. He unlocked and opened the door and before I could get over the threshold he exclaimed "Good grief what is that smell, I think it is time you threw out my boots, could you order me a new pair!!"

So equivalent of 1 black bag for me this weekend. 😅

daisy_1571

maggiem said:

@daisy_1571 I think it was Lady with a Plan who wrote of the interview with the brain doctor. I haven't checked though! 

Found this comment on there
 I am abroad - and on the way out watched a doc by Dr Daniel Amen -0 he is a brain doc who also radio images brains as well as being a psychotherapist. I have read a book of his before but hearing him talk about brain health and how it affects everything - including how weight gain leads to slower brains! 

Thanks maggiem that was the bit I remember reading, much appreciated 

Daisy xx

weenancyinAmerica

Might try the trick of spraying clothes and shoes that can't be washed with vodka to make them smell better and kill off the mold. 

@Moorviews - Here in Southern California, stores make it really hard on us for shopping -which is why it is easier to go to the charity shops. Last year the stores stopped selling jumpers in October even before the cold weather set in here and the day after Christmas, the displays were up with the bikinis - and it was impossible to find a jumper or even a cardigan when I was looking in January. 

TC77

@~FlowerPot~ have a lovely time with DS. Age doesn't meant that much..my dd1 is 25 and in 3rd year nursing ( year gap for accident and surgery) and dd2 just 19 who I've decluttered to the station. 
Had more chat on tube/ train to main station than rest of the week. 
Items returned, dropped off roll of leather off cuts to community group at their bring and fix . Had trousers altered but yet to try in, dropped off soup.maker wombled from a neighbour thinking DD2 may want- didn't so passed on.

That was yesterday.

sorry caught up earlier and now abit behind but will read on the way to work. Hugs and healing vibes to those in need.
Wicker chair picked up and mattress on Wed fingers crossed, others not picked up via free site.
Have Dbro staying tues- thurs, op on friday with DD1 coming to stay the first night. Need to do some housework after work tomorrow. Swept garden and did some weeding today, a few emails sent and making list for tomorrow.
Total 1782

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks to include MMiM - do this before I go to bed

2. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ I have an acronym - I.R.I.S. being Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off 

3. Implement a new sleep/wake up regime - start going to bed earlier (target before 2:00 a.m.) get up earlier (target by 9:00 a.m.)

4. Deal with ‘Urgent’ daily mail immediately & the rest at the weekend

5. Don’t put it down, put it away

6. If I spot a mini task deal with it immediately e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

7. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

First load of washing hung out & 2nd load in. I forgot to mention yesterday that the hm soup is delicious 🤤 Perfect for a cold day 😊 Sunday has turned into a great day. The washing that was hung out was mostly dry but did have to be finished in the td. However the 2nd load needed to be tumble dried. Whilst I was peeling veg etc, DB video-called DSis - sadly he forgot to wish her a belated Happy Birthday 😔 Then DSis handed over her phone & our 2 nephews thanked me for the money I recently transferred & chatted about their holiday to the Maldives. They have spent some of the money on various trips & will be buying ‘tablets’ next year - a requirement for school 😬 A far cry from my school days - pen & paper & later on a calculator 😉 Although DB did suggest that I used a slate board & chalk 🤣 Said goodbye to the boys & then DSis & I chatted to DB for the next 30 minutes. Congratulations were offered as he had passed his German test with a B grade 🥳 A lovely chat about the holiday & how much he, his wife & the boys had enjoyed themselves. A couple of cancelled trips resulted in a free trip & an upgrade to a villa with a small pool for the last few days of their holiday 😊 DB’s in-laws (who live with them) are heading off to The Maldives next month but this year will be home for Christmas 😉Then at Easter they are heading off to Japan 🤩 They are thoroughly enjoying & making the most of their retirement which came about because DB’s mother-in-law had a health scare a few years ago. I then updated DB on the rest of the family news re our cousins. Ended the call as DB had to head off & pick up his father-in-law. 

I returned to the kitchen & started cooking. Roast pork, roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots + cabbage. DH made the gravy. Just for once, I timed everything perfectly so didn’t have to resort to using the warming drawer 😉 Dinner was delicious 😋 - the pork was tender, the crackling was crispy as were the roast potatoes & parsnips & the cabbage & carrots were NOT mushy 😉 My day got even better as DH washed up the pots & pans & most of the cutlery👏 Although our hm soup is not yet finished, DH decided to use the small amount of leftovers & the gravy to make a start on a new soup 😉 I then finished the wudupa.

2262 -2264 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, cardboard packaging - recycled 

2265 - 2266 Kitchen & lr detritus binned

DSis has gone to bed early, just after 01:00 a.m. as she was feeling unwell 😔

dND, sorry to hear that you have been/are unwell 🤒  Sounds like a particularly nasty bug so I am sending get well soon wishes & Cwtches 🤗Hopefully the TLC Carriage has everything you require 😊 including somewhere to store your fruit plants 😉 I fully understand not getting too excited about the new house as I am exactly the same 😉 Only when the ink is dry on the contract would I start to get excited 😂 Shame about the mould but hopefully the humidifier will work wonders. I see a couple of people have already made suggestions about how to get rid of the existing mould 🙂 so hopefully a combination will work wonders & the house will soon be mould free 🤞I think 2024 is definitely going to be your year for decluttering 😊

oceanspirit, I am pleased to hear that you have the car back & the cuddly toys are now safely indoors 😊 Wishing you a speedy recovery from your hospital procedure 😊 The TLC Carriage is all set up for your return home 😉 

MadamMim2013, thank you for that very useful information about dealing with mould 👏 I have learnt something new 🙂 Being of a weird mind set, I am just pondering on other uses for hydrogen peroxide 🤨…………….. I have watched way too many episodes of Silent Witness 🤣

Lovely to see you retiredinfrance 👋 Thanks for DSis’s birthday greetings 🙂 I find that I am thinking more & more about the house in France. The wistful side of me wishes that we had kept it BUT the practical side knows that we would have ended up broke & freezing 🥶😅 Excellent decluttering & congratulations on reaching your target 👏 One Gold Star ⭐️ winging its way to you through the wind & rain 🙂 Please remember to pop in & say hello 🙏 we can compare weather stories 😉

Muddy_Walker, a very apt description of this thread - “a series of short stories” 😊 Nice to have the extra warmth of two dogs 🙂 now you just need a Personal Assistant to continue making snowflakes & then wait on you & the dogs so that you can ponder on your next project 😉 I have to say that I do agree that Amanda Burton does only seem to have the one facial expression 🤣 but having said that I think I still prefer her to Emilia Fox 😉 Good luck with the weeding 🍀

Nice to see you florianatwobob 👋 Hope you have a lovely week off & that the weather is kind 🤞

vulpix, what a lovely comment “For me it's like having work colleagues when you don't have any anymore!” 😊 What a bonus - decluttering emails leading to a revived social life 😊 Excellent decluttering 👏 Everything crossed that the missing curtain will soon put in an appearance 🤞Looking forward to seeing the drawers 😊

One more page caught up, so off to bed 😉

MrsSD (a superwoman) 😇 🎖💐🤩🏅🦸🏅💐🏆 💐🍰🍾🌟⭐️🌟 💐🏅💐🏅💐💐💐🏅💐 ⭐️ ❤️🏅🍾🏅 📣🦸‍♀️💐 ⭐️ 🏅 💐 (✨✨ aka platinum stars) 😇 🏅 💐💐 💐 ⭐️ 🏅 🏆

DH Awards: 🥇🏅⭐️💐,  perseverance medal 🎖️, 🥇 🏅🏅 😇

Decluttering Target 2023: 2266/2023

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £569.00

leftatthetrafficlights

Floss said:

leftatthetrafficlights said:

The chainsaw that was in the cupboard has been removed to the shed but I did find another 5 demijohns too 🤦‍♀️ hopefully I can rehome a few more of them to the charity shops next week- just need to see if the other ones have gone and if they will take any more! 🤞 

Have you tried offering them on Fb marketplace? 

I'm not on social media @Floss (unless these forums count as social media 🤔) so it's not an option for me unfortunately....there are a few more charity shops in a town about 8 miles away so if the local ones can't/won't take any more I'll take some with me if I venture over there.